We review the Ford B-Max from price to economy and all its features

SCOTLAND will vote on independence in 2014... but Ford have already achieved it for motorists.

This is the clever new B-Max compact SUV — and we’ve just had a first drive in Scotland.

The Blue Oval spent millions SPYING on drivers in a bid to create the perfect family car.

As any parent will know, getting kids in and out of the car along with shopping is one of the biggest stresses of the day.

Especially as, most of the time, it is one parent doing the shopping on their own — often attempting to load bags into the car with baby in their arms.

As a parent of Taylor, 10, Melody, seven, and four-year-old Bailey, this is particularly relevant to me right now.

It’s been a particular nightmare for busy mums or dads trying to fit child seats in the back, for pensioners struggling to access tight rear seats or just fitting in awkward bulky loads.

But Ford think they have the perfect solution with the user-friendly B-Max model that goes on sale this month. Now they hope buyers will vote YES for their new MPV.

They have developed a sliding rear door system that provides an unrivalled 1.5metre wide access to the back seats — more than double the access space for the Vauxhall Meriva.

Firstly, they’re perfect for tight car parks where the driver in the next bay has got too close to your motor.

After a few days with the B-Max, and loading it up with bikes, kids and shopping, it proved to be one of the most family-friendly cars I’ve ever driven.

It’s just as good when it comes to loading the most valuable cargo — people.

Admittedly, getting my three kids in the car with their booster seats is a doddle compared with proper baby seats when they were toddlers — and that’s such a relief.

To achieve it the B-Max ironically has no B pillar — that’s the bit of metal that usually splits the front and back of the vehicle so reaching in and out is absolutely child’s play.

And interestingly, the kids loved playing in the B-Max. It does have the feeling of a Tonka toy which is for big boys too.

But the sliding doors are only part of the clever solutions that turn the B-Max interior into a Tardis for a car that is just 4metres long — that’s only 11cm longer than a Fiesta. The front passenger seat also folds flat and that means you can carry seriously long loads, up to 2.4metres long.

With the rear seats in place there are a useful 324litres of boot space and, with the back seats folded flat, it increases to a cavernous 1,386 litres — the kind of space you’d normally expect in a good-sized estate.

Inside, the B-Max feels more like a Focus or Mondeo, with room for four adults in comfort or even three kids in the back seat.

It’s also a high-quality and well-equipped cabin. It doesn’t feel anything like a supermini, except in size.

As for the driving, the B-Max is based on the Fiesta and drives with the same small-car agility that makes it ideal for city driving — but it feels even more assured and grown up.

The steering is sharp and responsive and you get a choice of engines, including a 1.4litre petrol entry-level together with Ford’s ground-breaking new 1litre Ecoboost. That has the performance of a 1.6litre. Ford claim 55mpg for the B-Max but, unfortunately, I struggled to get 45mpg.

There are also two diesel engines, a 1.5litre and 1.6litre, which will appeal. They offer between 68 and 70.6mpg with CO2 emissions between 104 and 109g/km, and they are as refined as they are lively.

The engine is mated to a superslick five-speed gearbox that adds to the driving pleasure of the B-Max.

Prices start at £12,995 for the 1.4litre Studio, which is £495 more than the Meriva. The popular Zetec trim in the 1.5litre diesel opens at £16,995 and goes up to £18,895 for the Titanium 1.6litre turbo diesel.

Nearly £19,000 may seem really pricey for a car that’s not much bigger than a Fiesta, but the B-Max offers so much more than any other small car.

That’s because Ford have, literally, opened the door to the perfect solution for offering supermini drivers the interior space and practicality of an estate car, but at half the price.

The independence debate will rage on for another 18 months.

But I have a sneaky feeling buyers will vote straight away with sales for Ford’s indoorpendence.